1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a retaining cap for a protective bellows, of the type having at least one retaining segment on which the bellows can be supported.
2. Description of the Related Art
G 91 09 020 U1 discloses a retaining cap for a vibration damper, which has a sleeve section with radially extending protective bellows retaining segments. The protective bellows retaining segments serve as a stop for a protective bellows which covers at least one section of a piston rod of the piston/cylinder assembly. A similar retaining cap is also described, for example, in DE 41 37 447 A1.
An identical vehicle spring is frequently used for different vehicles of a manufacturer, and so, under some circumstances, the vehicle spring has to be combined with a vibration damper of larger dimensions to form a spring strut, in which case the vehicle spring envelopes the vibration damper. If tolerance zones of the vehicle spring and the vibration damper which are still unfavorable are then combined, it cannot be absolutely ruled out that, when installed, the vehicle spring will come into contact with the retaining cap, in particular in the region of the protective bellows retaining segments.
To solve this problem, the configuration according to FIG. 10 of DE 196 41 728 A1, for example, has been taken into consideration. In this variant of a retaining cap, the protective bellows engages with radial segments in the retaining cap, i.e. the protective bellows determines the maximum diameter in the critical region with respect to the vehicle spring. However, this solution involves the drawback of the protective bellows having to be fitted in a manner oriented with respect to the retaining cap.
A solution according to DE 19 88 945 U has also been taken into consideration, which describes a retaining cap which is supported on a neck of the spring plate above the end surface of the vibration damper. However, this variant requires a special spring plate and a retaining cap which provides only a very small impact surface for a stop buffer.